Love with a childhood friend only happens in rom-coms, right?” says Yonosuke Sakai, a high school boy who looks at things with a somewhat cynical eye. Known as ”Eiyu,” he is actually an otaku who loves romantic comedies, especially ”childhood friend” heroines. However, the unexpected situation of becoming a protagonist in a real-life ”childhood friend rom-com” is exactly what his daily life has become. Moreover, his childhood friends, Shio and Akari, are both undeniably beautiful girls with polar opposite personalities, yet for some reason, both harbor special feelings for him. However, Eiyu stubbornly clings to a mysterious belief (or perhaps an escape) that ”it’s impossible for real-life childhood friends to fall in love.” This leads to misunderstandings and missed connections, yet somehow warms the reader's heart. This work is the ”most tantalizing rom-com” right now.

At first glance, it might look like a typical harem rom-com. However, this work doesn't simply depict the pleasure of being a ”popular protagonist.” Eiyu's exquisite ”obliviousness” is backed by a sense of reality. His low self-esteem and overly cautious personality maintain a strange balance that evokes empathy for his humanity rather than just frustrating the reader.

Furthermore, Shio and Akari, who surround him, are not just heroines in love; their respective emotions are depicted so carefully that you'll want to follow the story from their perspectives as well. Readers feel the frustration of a mutual love that doesn't progress, yet strangely, they don't get annoyed. Instead, there's a pleasant sense of being teased that makes you think, ”I want this exquisite distance to last a little longer.”

”Osananajimi to wa Love Comedy ni Naranai” is not the type of rom-com where you swing between joy and sorrow over romantic maneuvers or events. Rather, it is a work that gradually approaches the essence of love by facing the characters' inability to speak out or take a step forward. Readers project their emotions onto the gaps in their frustrating conversations or sudden changes in expression, finding themselves becoming part of the story before they know it. It isn't flashy, but that's why it stays in your heart. This kind of rom-com is exactly the sort that grows on you over time. It’s a piece that makes you want to watch over how each character's relationship changes and whether the day will come when Eiyu can finally believe in ”love with a real-life childhood friend.”